Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol.
Already have an account?
By submitting, you consent that you are at least 18 years of age and to receive information about MPR's or APMG entities' programs and offerings. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about MPR, APMG entities, and its sponsors. You may opt-out at any time clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email communication. View our Privacy Policy.
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?
Crime, Law and Justice
Matt Sepic
Minneapolis

Ex-event coordinator sues MDH, alleging boss used ethnic slur

The judge and witness stands sit empty inside of courtroom 880.
A former vaccine event coordinator is suing the Minnesota Department of Health for racial discrimination.
Evan Frost | MPR News file

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

A former vaccine event coordinator is suing the state health department for racial discrimination, and alleges that her supervisor referred to her with a racial slur.

Leticia Alonso, who’s Latina, says in a lawsuit filed Wednesday that the Minnesota Department of Health fired her last year ostensibly because of discrepancies in a log of gift cards that she and her coworkers gave as incentives to people who received COVID-19 shots.

Alonso, of Woodbury, said that her white supervisor questioned her, but not a white coworker, about gift cards that went missing on an evening when Alonso had not worked.

After Alonso was terminated on Sept. 7, 2021, her boss allegedly texted a white subordinate and wrote "In my eyes they are all illegal immigrants," then referred to Alonso with an ethnic slur. Alonso was born in Florida to Puerto Rican parents.

Her attorney Claire Bruner-Wiltse said the gift cards were just a pretext to fire Alonso.

"The real reason here was because Ms. Alonso's race and her national origin,” Bruner-Wiltse said.

Alonso alleges in her lawsuit that MDH and Rose International, the employment agency that hired her, refused to take action.

"I think that cases like this highlight the importance of, especially in joint employer situations, employers listening to the complaints of employees seriously and promptly investigating reports of discrimination or retaliation," Bruner-Wiltse said.

Neither MDH nor Rose International has filed responses to the lawsuit or returned requests for comment from MPR News.